Miley Cyrus’ date turns self in, posts bail

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The young homeless man who accompanied Miley Cyrus to the MTV Video Music Awards and who had been sought on an Oregon arrest warrant has turned himself in and posted bail, an Oregon official said Thursday night.

Jesse Helt, 22, turned himself in at the Polk County Jail in the Willamette Valley community of Dallas, Oregon, was booked on a probation violation warrant and then posted $2,500 bail, said Martin Silbernagel, director of Polk County Community Corrections .

Helt will be expected to appear before a judge in about two weeks, Silbernagel said in a telephone interview.

Court records show that Helt pleaded guilty to misdemeanor criminal mischief and criminal trespass several years ago after breaking into the apartment of a man he believed to be selling bad marijuana. He was sentenced to 30 days in jail and probation. The arrest warrant was issued in November 2011 after he violated probation.

Helt moved to Los Angeles and lived on the streets while trying to find work as a model.

He gained worldwide attention Sunday when Cyrus let him accept her award for video of the year. Helt, who met Cyrus through the Hollywood homeless center My Friend’s Place, used the platform to call attention to the issue of youth homelessness.

“I am accepting this award on behalf of the 1.6 million runaways and homeless youth in the United States who are starving, lost, and scared for their lives right now,” Helt said. “I know this because I am one of these people.”

Cyrus selected the charity with help from her friend Trevor Neilson, the president of G2 Investment Group and co-founder of Global Philanthropy Group.

“Jesse Helt turned himself in tonight to Polk County authorities to address his outstanding legal issues,” Neilson said in an email late Thursday. “Miley Cyrus will be assisting him with this process, and they both are committed to working to help the other 1.6 million youth who experience homelessness in America each year.”

Jesse’s mother, Linda Helt, said late Thursday that the past four days had been a whirlwind experience, and she confirmed that Cyrus has offered to help pay for her son’s legal help.

“God gets the glory and she gets the credit,” Helt said.

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